COMMENTARY
MILT THOMAS
Earlier this year there was a political controversy about how we should go about saving our Indian River Lagoon. Although we found a way around the controversy, it is good to remember how and why it happened as we prepare to vote in another election.
The effect of human activity on our environment is a subject that voters seem evenly divided about, those who believe the scientific evidence and those who don’t want to believe it. It reminds me of the scientific evidence that proved a link between smoking and lung cancer. That was in the 1950s, yet warnings only first appeared on cigarette packs in 1964. Now I think we finally get it – yes Virginia, smoking does cause lung cancer.
Then there is the environment. We have definitive scientific evidence that humans are having an adverse effect on our world, yet half of us don’t want to believe it. If it took 50 years for us to take seriously the scientific evidence about smoking, do we have 50 years to take seriously the scientific evidence that humans are polluting our world? That is an argument for another day, but there is no argument locally.
We seem to be in unanimous agreement that humans have caused pollution that is choking the life out of our Indian River Lagoon and it remains the most important issue facing our county today. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait 50 years to start addressing it. In fact, we have unprecedented cooperation among the five counties that share our Lagoon working on a coordinated effort (the Indian River Lagoon Council) to reverse the damage. But wait – there is one county not cooperating in that effort.
Our own County Commission chose not to participate in this multi-county effort to save our precious Lagoon, but not because they don’t believe the scientific evidence. Instead, they were worried about adding another “layer if government” in addressing it.
Okay, so many people believe government has grown too large. That topic can be the source of philosophical and political discourse as we approach another election. But a one-size-fits-all rationale for decision making doesn’t work when the situation is urgently real and not philosophical. The first Tea Party ignited simmering patriotism and set off the struggle to rid us of our British overlords. Back then we were a poor farming economy of 2.5 million people. Independence was THE issue. Today we are a diverse country of 330 million people with a multitude of issues and conflicting agendas.
To some, our own government is now the overlord and we need to whittle it down to size. So, let’s start locally by pulling out of the first coordinated effort to save the Indian River Lagoon, vitally important to our economy and quality of life. Really? Was that our top priority?
Fortunately, the more rational majority on our Vero Beach City Council (along with the other municipalities) decided to participate in this regional effort in spite of the powdered wig county commissioners.
The threat to our Lagoon is obvious. Working together as a region against that threat is also obvious. Achieving a better future by staring in the rear view mirror is downright dangerous.
Indian River Guardian 
As usual,Milt has provided us with an excellent analysis. Those who highlight problems are too often the very ones who suffer because of their truthfulness. The situation now is similar to the problems identified in Rachel Carson’s book, “Silent Spring.” She highlighted the environmental damages caused by the pollution of Silver Spring. Yet she died of breast cancer before anyone paid attention to her warnings.
… and the City of Vero Beach is quietly hooking up several more barrier island houses every week from septic to sewer through its innovative new system. A significant part of the problem is being resolved NOW. Will someone please say thank you to the COVB instead of suing them for a change. What is anyone else in the county accomplishing? Tell us if you know.
The Indian River Commissioners are being disingenuous with the argument that they do not want to add” another layer of government.” What this is really about is having tons of money so they can spend huge amounts of money on the electric lawsuit they cannot win. I hope they do not realize too late that the Lagoon must be saved. They are not being wise in their priorities with public monies. Protect the lagoon ,protect people.
originally the lagoon was freshwater, we made it brackish now an keep it that way. nature was moving inlets an we stop that. the lagoon in our area had three inlets. two were near each other.just noting how we have forced the lagoon to be a way we want it.